Egypt: People
People
The vast majority of Egypt's inhabitants live in the Nile valley and delta, and the rest of the country (about 96% of Egypt's total land area) is sparsely populated. Most modern Egyptians are of a complex ethnic mixture, being descended from the ancient Egyptians, Berbers, sub-Saharan Africans, Arabs, Greeks, and Turks. Arabic is the official language; many educated Egyptians also speak English and French. About 90% of the people are Sunni Muslims, and most of the rest are Coptic Christians (see Copts).
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- Peace and Internal Unrest
- The 1973 War and After
- Egypt under Nasser
- Independence
- European Domination
- Islamic Egypt
- The New Kingdom
- The Old and Middle Kingdoms
- The Ancient Empire of the Nile
- Government
- Economy
- People
- Land
- Modern Egypt
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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